Adding a beautiful garden to your home can be a nice asset. Most of the time, if done well, it does not impact the value of your home. It also does not make your home less safe. How can your garden, then, play a role in your home insurance? Most often, it does not, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
What Are You Installing?
One of the most important things to know about home insurance is that it is very specific to the style and features of your property as it is. If you make changes to your property, let your agent know. For example, if you add a simple raised bed garden to your back yard, you are not investing much. You are not building a large structure. And, overall, this should not hurt your home insurance coverage. The policy is not likely to cover damage to shrubbery, anyway.
However, if you are building a large garden, a detached shed, a fence structure or a more elaborate space, that can change the value of your property. If you add any type of solid structure to your home’s property, let your agent know. They may need to add detached structure coverage to your policy to ensure it has protection should a fire occur. Keep in mind, shrubbery might still not have coverage, however.
Minimizing Risks to Your Property
Most of the time, a garden is not a dangerous feature to add to your home. Rather, it provides an area for raising plants and vegetables. Yet, there could be some risks to consider.
The most common is flooding risks. When you change the grading of the property, you may alter the way water flows around your home. If the water flows to your foundation, it can cause erosion to occur there. Over time, this can expose or damage your foundation. It can create leaks in your basement. This type of damage, caused by outdoor flooding, is not necessarily covered under your home insurance policy.
Second, be sure to do what you can to protect the space and to make it secure. If someone trips and falls on a spike or a stake, that can cause significant damage or injuries. You also do not want a child getting caught in wiring. Make sure you limit access to others in ways that protect their safety.
Adding a home garden can be a good thing. It is up to you to make sure it is a well-designed and properly installed to ensure there is no risk of damage to your home.
Contact us today for more information on minizing potential risks to your porperty.